How in the world can you know how much to invest in something before you know what you hope to get out of it? Articulate the value of an initiative first, conservatively. Then, decide how much to allocate based on the expected value. And, if the value doesn’t surpass the potential cost, why bother with the initiative? Some people suggest…
Month: September 2015
It’s your fault for finding fault
When something goes awry we all have a tendency to seek out and place blame. Especially when a relationship problem arises. But, is blame a skillful means to remedy the situation? I constantly see people embroiled in it, I’ve been embroiled in it myself. We all have the tendency to blame. Unfortunately, blame is usually what perpetuates and exacerbates the…
The oft-overlooked problem with standards
If you struggle to set standards, chances are you haven’t considered what purpose standards will serve. Standards are the antithesis of flexibility. Standards are the centralization of decision making. The opposite of centralization is decentralization. Flexibility, naturally, allows for people to work independently. Keep the tradeoff between standards and flexibility–centralization versus decentralization–in mind when deciding upon standards. Never standardize without…
Let people know when they’re overdoing it
When someone has asked you to provide feedback, it’s easy to provide constructive feedback–what could be improved. Feedback to help them consider alternatives to achieve their goals. And it’s easy to provide praise–what was good. Sometimes it’s the feedback beyond these two types that can be the most helpful. Occasionally I see the opportunity to possibly lighten someone’s load. In…
Pick one person you trust to learn from
In a sea of information it’s difficult if not impossible to consider every possible perspective on even a single subject matter. Sometimes you have to pick one person that you trust and just stick with learning from them for the time being. Do a little research and try to base your trust on more than faith, then bury your head…
Stop being cheap
I’m flabbergasted by people that talk about tools–that have serious productivity enhancements–as expensive because they cost $99. What world do these people live in where expense is based on the money alone? These tools often save people hundreds of hours every year, how in the world is $99 expensive? A tool that saves hundreds of hours every year is cheap…
Altruism is suboptimal malarkey: helping myself by helping you
Sometimes people wonder why one would help others for free, aside from supposed altruistic benefits. I personally believe altruism is a myth. There’s no way to help others without helping yourself. Maybe you consider the help to yourself as a deficit to the value you provide to another person, but I think that’s also just puritanical hogwash. There’s no way…
Be careful when explaining a hiccup with customers
No doubt things go wrong in business. For example, I’ve been accidentally double charged when making a purchase at a store. Usually it’s not a problem to get this corrected, it’s as simple as refunding the extra charge. However, when something goes wrong, be very careful if you feel the need to explain what happened, or to explain how things…
How to work just enough to be successful
As I mentioned, coming in early and leaving late is deplorable, not laudable. One of the reasons this happens is simply that you don’t take the time to determine what’s worth doing–in advance. Consequently, you try to do as much as is possible in the hope that it’s enough. One way to get around this, each day make a list…
Coming in early and leaving late is deplorable
When I ask people about the habits of those they work with, inevitably they’ll mention people that come in early and/or stay late. And they’ll describe the work of these individuals as admirable. Sometimes it’s the basis with which one justifies their own lack of advancement, because they don’t put in long hours. But, the practice of working long days…